‘The Wicked + The Divine #37:’ Comic Book Review

It's been a bit since this series launched, with another issue hitting stands a bit later than expected. That's forgivable, given how daunting this series must be to make and craft into the masterwork that it is. We're surely in it now, though, as this issue is a bit bigger, with some major shake-ups coming for our slowly dwindling set of gods and their ever-increasing problems and flaws.

Time continues to pass in bunches, all leading up to the current day. More of the gods' pasts are getting brought forth, and we can see how long this process has been going on, with Ananke creating the same process over and over again, leaving everything on the table, every time.

That hasn't stopped our Pantheon from bringing their own misery into their lives, with massive complications coming from Persephone (not surprising), Morrigan and Baphomet (also not surprising), and the further issues stemming from their very contentious relationship and that of the other gods. It's been a long time coming, and while some of it is definitely the fault of our group of protagonists, some of it has been the process of stopping the Great Darkness that, even in the final year of this series, has only been a brief issue before the group delves deeper into their own dysfunction.

The beginning of this issue starts off a bit oddly before diving headfirst into one of the most well-choreographed fight sequences that takes up a massive portion of the back half of the issue. Without going too much into it, it's a big turn that has large implications on what could be the final days (within the story) of these characters that we've come to know, love, hate, and empathize with.

Kieron Gillen has always done a great job of building the skeleton of this story over the years, but this issue is a showcase for Jamie McKelvie. It is one of the most dynamic action sequences I've seen in comics, with unique panel borders that infuse the pages with energy, gorgeous choreography, and some intelligent angles.

There is something about the work McKelvie and Matt Wilson do together that is unlike any other comic book on the market. It's such a brilliant pairing that the end result is nothing short of awe-inspiring on each page, especially when the action gets moving, as this issue does. Come for the compelling, but odd, opening, stay for the massive action sequence, and bask in the glory of the gods as this massive endeavor races towards its resolution.